Playtime Sports lends helping hand to young swimmer headed to 2017 Goodwill Games

Playtime Sports lends helping hand to young swimmer headed to 2017 Goodwill Games

Playtime was proud to sponsor Marvin Johnson Jr. for his trip to Guyana in the 2017 Goodwill Games. Present for the presentation was General Manager Ghassan Haddad, Johnson Jr, Ivan Bethel and father Marvin Johnson Sr. (PHOTO: SHAYNE STUBBS)

The 2017 Goodwill Games Swim Meet is fast approaching as Team Bahamas gets ready for another dose of competitive swimming.

While a full list of team members was not yet produced for publication, The Freeport News understands that young Marvin Johnson Jr. was named to the roster once again for the 2017 meet to be hosted in Guyana.

Young Marvin’s summer so far in the pool has featured him breaking several records. The feat took place at the June 22-25 held RBC National Swimming Championships at the Betty Kelly-Kenning Aquatic Centre in New Providence.

Local athletics apparel store Playtime Sports caught wind of Junior’s accomplishments this past year, which included being named student and athlete of the year at Bishop Michael Eldon. In that light, the store agreed to help the 11-year old with a monetary sponsorship toward his trip later this month.

Ever the proud father, Marvin Johnson Sr. shared just how passionate his namesake is about the sport. He further expressed one of his son’s primary goals, and that’s to perform in the pool on the biggest stage in the world.

“He’s 11 years old, he has a bright future. One of his goals; he already has a spot in his trophy case for the Olympics in 2020. He’s going to be the first one to win the gold for the Bahamas. That’s what his goal is,” Johnson Sr. said.

Playtime Sports’ general manager Ghassan Haddad, when looking at the assorted trophies and medals of Johnson junior on display in the establishment, voiced how proud the establishment was of his various accomplishments in and out of the pool.

“Not only his sporting accomplishments, he is also excelling in academics in school which is very important. Because not everybody can be a superstar in sports but at least you have the academics to fall back on. But we’re very proud of him and we do anything we can to help assist.

“We are here for people like Marvin (Jr.) and we’d like to encourage more kids to be like him and we’ll have more Bahamian heroes in the future.”

The Bishop Michael Eldon product will have a full list of events to compete in once the Goodwill Games kick off. He wasn’t lengthy in words, but he voiced he just wants to simply have fun and represent the country well.